GS Group gives a tour around historical sites of World War I

15.09.2014

On September 12, 2014 the GS Group international holding company launched the web-site dedicated to the tourist itineraries around the historical sites of World War I in the Kaliningrad region – http://fww-explore.com/. The guide includes 8 walking, cycling and auto itineraries lasting from one to four days.

Experts of the history department of the Kaliningrad Regional Museum of History and Arts carefully selected the sites and monuments suitable for visiting in order to develop a route map. For this purpose they have studied archive maps, notes and photographs of a century ago. Afterwards the expedition was sent to examine the condition of the selected objects. It was led by Elvira V. Yurchenko, Head of the history department, Kaliningrad Regional Museum of History and Arts.

As a result 89 objects were selected, such as samples of architecture of those years (preserved barracks, hospitals etc.), communal graves and individual burials, monuments to the heroes of World War I, erected in different periods. The major part of the itineraries passes through Gusevsky, Nesterovsky and Ozersky areas of the Kaliningrad region. In particular, tourists can explore the burial sites of Russian and German soldiers restored by volunteers of Technopolis GS (Gusev, Kaliningrad region). Map also features objects useful for travelers, such as cafes, hotels, first aid posts, etc.

One can also find the itineraries around the historical sites in the booklets distributed in museums, schools, hotels and travel agencies in the Kaliningrad region.

Preparation of itineraries around historical sites is a part of the program of events conducted by GS Group, which marks the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I. The program aims at preserving and maintaining the historical heritage of the Kaliningrad region. It embraces activities to restore military burials sites of World War I by volunteers among the employees of Technopolis GS. In addition a memorial park was laid out on the cluster territory. It aims to turn into the heart of leisure and cultural entertainment for the Gusev residents and tourists coming to Kaliningrad region. The statuary "In memory of the forgotten war that turned the course of history" by the world-renowned Russian-American sculptor and artist Mikhail Shemyakin is the heart of the memorial park. Andrey Tkachenko, President of GS Group, Vladimir Medinsky, Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation and Chairman of the Russian Military Historical Society, Nikolay Tsukanov, Governor of the Kaliningrad region, and Evgeny Mikhailov, Gusev urban district officer and other prominent guests attended the solemn ceremony of the memorial park inauguration. The ceremony took place on August 24, 2014 and was confined to centenary of World War I strategic battle on this territory – the glorious Battle of Gumbinnen (the town of Gusev is the former Gumbinnen).